Rising to Fall

Chapter 4-3

As the shadow of the Capital looms over them, seeming to gloat as they walk towards it, the Sky Army recruits hold their heads high in what could almost be a challenge. Most of them are uncomfortable with the absence of the swords at their hips but they do not show it, keeping their eyes fixed on the open gates of the Capital. Most of them haven't been inside before, but others clench their fists at the memories of the place.

As the gates open up wider, hundreds of women, men and children huddled on the main street come into view, blocked by a line of Squid warriors. At a sign from their General walking several metres in front of the Sky Army, the warriors move to the side of the main street. The citizens stand there for a moment, glancing between the warriors and the approaching army whose butter armour are left behind with the Benjas and the weight of their butter swords is only a distant memory. A few of the younger children start forward, hurriedly grabbed by parents before some of the teenagers move, watching the Squid warriors. When they make no sign of stopping them, the whole mass surge forward towards the approaching group of people, tiny in comparison.

As the citizens near them, the Sky Army moves into a sort of arrowhead that the citizens split around. Most of them avert their eyes from the warriors who looked no different to them but some watch the faces of the recruits. Few smiles are shared but those that are are sad but thankful. The citizens might not know the full extent of the deal, but they know that these people are taking their place. And for that, they are grateful.

Mitch watches with a blank face while the recruits disappear into the mass of citizens streaming towards them, most of them slowing as they see the armies lined up facing them. He sighs and runs his free hand through his hair.

"I guess we should take all these folks back to their villages," he mutters to Robert.

Robert nods in agreement. "And we'll probably have to leave some warriors behind permanently to guard them or else have some sort of roster, otherwise the Squids could try to take them again."

"Why don't we just train them to defend themselves?" Mitch asks. "Kinda like a village guard thing. We leave behind warriors in each village to train them and then when they're trained, the warriors can come back home."

"Sounds like a half-decent idea." The General of the Wolves glances behind him at the armies. "We should probably tell them to look less intimidating, huh?"

"You can try," Mitch grins slightly. "But my Benjas are always intimidating."

"So I've noticed," Robert says dryly before walking quickly back to the Pack.

Mitch turns his gaze back to the citizens who have now almost reached him. His right hand, still in his pocket, tightens momentarily around the circular object handed to him by Adam. It had taken him only a second to guess that it was the Amulet that had always been around Adam's neck since he had found it, but he had no idea why Adam would give it to him. Obviously, he didn't want the Squids to have it, but Mitch wanted to know why. What was so important about it?

He pushed the thought out of his mind as the front line of people come to a stop in front of him, the sides of the group continuing forward until they formed a crescent around him. Many parents clutched their children tight and most had an air of wariness around them.

"We're not here to hurt you," Mitch said, projecting his voice. "We're going to take you to your homes and then we'll train you so that this doesn't happen again. After that, we'll leave you in peace."

Without waiting for any answers, Mitch turns and follows Robert. The people, with no other choice available to them, do the same. The large gates of the Capital silently close behind them, swallowing up the Sky Army recruits. The Benja General looks over his shoulder once at the tall walls, the Squid warriors still standing guard atop them.

"Good luck Adam," he whispers to himself. He looks forward and raises his chin a little, his hand slipping out of his pocket but the Amulet's weight still pulled at his jacket.

In the Capital, Adam does the same movement, his chin raised a little and his eyes hard as the Squid warriors swarm around him and his recruits, forcing them to their knees and clapping shackles to their wrists and tying their ankles together with long pieces of rope that will allow them to walk but not to run before pulling them up again. The Squid Commanders call out orders and the army is separated into several large groups. Adam instantly notices that he and his Commanders are put in a group separate from the others, although how the Squids knew who his Commanders were, he wasn't sure.

The Squid General walks up to Adam with a self-satisfied smile on his face. Adam stands tall and glares at him although he knows that the expression is partly wasted on the man as his sunglasses still cover his eyes. The General comes to a stop in front of him, his hands clasped easily behind his back.

"General Sky," the Squid General gloats. "I assume that you are wondering how I knew the identities of your Commanders."

"The thought did cross my mind," Adam says evenly.

"You of all people should know that my spies are everywhere. Finding the information I wanted was easy enough."

"And yet you didn't realise that a large portion of us were hiding under your very nose for 12 years."

General Azubi's smile turns into a growl and he snatches Adam's glasses off from his face. Adam grits his teeth together as the glasses scratch the bridge of his nose. "You won't be needing these anymore." With a quick movement, the Squid General snaps the glasses in two and drops them to the ground. "You and your army belong to me now. And I suggest that you act appropriately."

"Good luck with that one."

With some effort, the Squid General takes a breath and his smirk returns. "You know why I wanted your army here. Give me the Piece and I swear by the Twelve that I will not injure your recruits."

Adam grins wolfishly. "Even if I had it, you know that I wouldn't give it to you."

The other General frowns. "Search him," he orders the two warriors who hold onto Adam's cuffed arms. They instantly obey, searching Adam for any hidden pockets that could conceal an object. Adam keeps his eyes firmly on the Squid's, knowing that his warriors won't find anything. General Azubi doesn't take his eyes off of Adam as the warriors finish their pointless search.

"Take them all to the cells," he orders in a loud voice. "We'll deal with them later."

Ugh, I'm not gonna like writing the next chapter.